A Stuttering but Winning Start to the League Campaign

It’s great to start the season with your team putting the full range of possibilities on display in one game. From a near perfect showcase in the first half, to a faltering but ultimately resilient performance in the second - hold on to your hats lads, this is going to be a fun season!

The kick off was delayed for a moment of silence for recently departed and much-loved member, Jim “Gaffer” Hogan. Jim’s family later expressed their profound thanks to players and supporters from both sides for the gesture.
But when it came, the kick off marked an end to any truce between the teams as they set about each other with finely tuned aggression and a breathtaking display of speed and courage. As one sideline pundit put it, “You can *keep* the URC; this game has just as much quality and twice the passion!”   

An early player to shine was Jack Cooke, unburdened by the captaincy perhaps, he was a ball of energy at blind side flanker, stealing lineouts, ruck ball and regularly breaking the gain line.
Though we had most of the ball for long periods, we couldn’t penetrate very deep into their half, so when we got a penalty inside their half, out half Stephen Madigan opted to kick. The ball squeaked over the post, 3 – 0.

Our dominance continued with the backline doing justice to the forwards’ efforts with great handling and hardline breaks. Harry “Hybrid” O’Riordain seemed to relish pounding his former club from the centre and full back Todd Lawlor also joined the line with ruthless efficiency that would characterise his whole game.

Our dominance was thorough and so it wasn’t a huge surprise that after winning a couple of penalties (and in spite of fevered exhortations from Alickadoos to “take the points”) that we ended up in the corner for a lineout.  Playing his first AIL in Lansdowne colours, hooker Bobby Sheehan showed he has a lethal combination of light touch throwing into the lineout and powerful driving in the maul to go over for our first try. Stephen slotted it over again for a very well taken conversion to bring us to 10 – 0.

We maintain control over the game with 90% of possession and territory and though Con aren’t playing badly, it feels like a turkey shoot. It’s just a question of when and how we’ll score next, not if. Our scrum is solid, and after conceding the first nudge, we drive back with a passion, driving their front row up and winning a penalty. Mads does the honours again and it’s 13 – 0.

A brief visit into our half suggests a hint of the threat Con would present in the second half, but on this occasion, centres O’Riordain and Captain Andy Marks create an impregnable defence. Cork hopes are dashed (how often have we heard that expression this summer?) when winger Cathal Eddy intercepts a pass and runs the length of the pitch, only falling to an excellent cover tackle on their 10 meter line. But now we’re back pounding on the gates of the Con castle and it’s ever menacing Todd Lawlor that makes the telling break to go over for a second try in the corner. Stephen strikes it beautifully again and we’re 20 – 0 up as the half time break approaches.

Another great scrum yielded a penalty, newcomer Julien Valleise dominating his side of the front row. Mads puts the ball inside their 22 and the lineout maul works well again, with second row Matt Healy showing his power and speed again with breaks down the centre, leading ultimately to a penalty for us. The 10m lineout is grist to the Bobby Sheehan mill and we go over for yet another score and excellent conversion bringing us to 27 – 0 as we enter injury time.
But Con didn’t just make the bus trip up to Dublin to see Nelson’s Pillar and before half time they gave us a glimpse of what was to come with a well taken try from their hooker, another well connected Sheahan, this time Danny (nephew of Frankie). 27 – 7 Half time.

As we all enjoyed the glow of such a pleasant first half, another “Hybrid” alicadoo Conor Hayden pointed out to your scribe that three of today's Con players were part of the junior Lansdowne and Con squads (including both our sons) that used to make the annual pilgrimage up and down the M8 to play each other. Great to see flanker Peter Hyland, out half Darragh French and full back George Coomber blossom into such fine players.

Back to business in round two and Lansdowne supporters started to wish the Con lads would do their blossoming a bit later in the season as they now took control of the game. It was a mirror image of the first half except that unlike Con then, we were making mistakes. Nothing major, but just enough to let them back into the game. We also started to see that oh-too-familiar failing of letting our discipline slip and we came in for a series of penalties and the inevitable yellow card to add to our woes. Could it be that we could let a 27 – 0 lead slip away and slide into a defeat? Some sort of Karmic Cork Revenge?

Fear not dear reader, Con would score two more tries but their inconsistent kicking and our resolute, if sometimes desperate defence kept them at bay. Their next try came from a well worked ball wide with another well connected winger, Matthew Bohen going over in the corner. The conversion hits the upright and misses. 27 -12.

Soon, Con got another kickable penalty and mercifully their sub outhalf Dylan Hicks misses it. But their attack is relentless and leads to a third try from second row Cian Barry (no relation) and this time the conversion goes over 27 – 19. Bums are getting as squeaky as the temporary terrace at the back pitch of HQ. These lads are getting stronger as we’re starting to panic, their extra man also having an impact. 

They get another penalty inside our half and the full back Coomber comes up to take it, slotting it over to make it a one score match. 27 – 22 with five minutes on the clock.

Back to 15 now and our discipline is also returning to us. The tide seems to turn back in our favour and instead of conceding penalty after penalty, we win a couple, experienced subs Ruari Clarke, Harry Van Eeden and veteran Tom Daly bringing much needed calm to proceedings.
And so, after a nail biting last ten minutes, it finished 27 -22.  We did let a huge lead slip away to make it a dangerously close game, but in reality, we had the strength and depth to hold out. And hopefully learn.

What a great start to what promises to be a great season. Let’s see a huge Lansdowne contingent at Castle Avenue on Saturday for another cracking challenge.

Match Report - Brian Whelan
 
Match photos can be viewed here.- Michael O'Brien